The Birds of Prey racecourse was built during the summer of 1997 in anticipation of the 1999 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. It was designed by Olympic Downhill gold medalist Bernhard Russi of Switzerland.

The first competition on Birds of Prey took place on December 4, 1997, with two World Cup men’s Downhills and a Super-G. The course was officially opened with a ceremonial Native American blessing, performed by tribal elder Red Ute.

Germany’s Stefan Krauss was the first racer down Birds of Prey in the opening day of training, while Italy’s Kristian Ghedina was the first race winner. The remaining two competitions were won by Austrians Andreas Schifferer and Hermann Maier.

During the 1999 World Championships, Birds of Prey was the site for the first ever gold medal tie as Maier and Norway’s Lasse Kjus earned Super-G gold

The fastest World Cup or World Championships Downhill race time from the top start ever recorded on Birds of Prey is 1:39.59, courtesy of American Daron Rahlves.

Austria’s Hermann Maier owns a record eight career victories on Birds of Prey.

In 2009, Switzerland’s Carlo Janka made history, winning all three races contested in Beaver Creek. The feat marked the first time a racer has been victorious in three World Cup races on three consecutive days since Jean Claude Killy turned the trick in 1967.

In 2011, American Lindsey Vonn became the first woman to win a World Cup race on Birds of Prey, capturing the transplanted Super-G from Val d’Isere, France.

Ladies' Races

The Nature Valley Raptor Ladies’ World Cup will mark the first “regularly scheduled” women’s World Cup events hosted in Beaver Creek. While the World Cup women ran Super-G in 2011, that was a transplanted race from Val d’Isere, France.

The races will mark the world debut of Raptor, the new ladies’ speed course constructed over the course of the past two summers in anticipation of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

The new Raptor racecourse incorporates portions of Solitude, Peregrine, Golden Eagle and Red Tail runs, along with two new cuts, dubbed Kestrel, on Beaver Creek Mountain. The new cuts add 17 acres of new ski terrain and 30 acres of new snowmaking to Beaver Creek Mountain.

Beaver Creek has played host to 1989 and 1999 World Championships races with ladies’ Slalom and Combined Slalom contested at Beaver Creek in 1989. There were no women’s World Championships races held at Beaver Creek in 1999.

The only competitors to have skied sections of the new Raptor course are four U.S. Ski Team athletes in April of 2013: Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith, Laurenne Ross and Mikaela Shiffrin. They tested from just above the Super-G start to the juncture of Peregrine and Red Tail.

The races may well feature Lindsey Vonn’s return to competition following a season-ending knee injury suffered in Schladming, Austria during the 2013 World Championships Super-G. Vonn has targeted Beaver Creek as the first step on the road to defending her Olympic gold medal in Downhill.

Beaver Creek has organized FIS World Cup competitions since 1988, while Vail’s involvement with World Cup racing dates back to the inaugural year of the World Cup tour in 1967.

The transplanted Val d’Isere Super-G race in 2011 was won by Lindsey Vonn (USA), while Fabinenne Suter (SUI) placed second and Anna Fenninger (AUT) finished third.

Latest News

In today’s giant slalom race in Beaver Creek, the story line stayed the same with a small twist. There was Ted Ligety sitting atop the field. But his fellow podium mates changed as teammate Bode Miller finished in a surprising second place 0.22 seconds off the pace. Austrian Marcel Hirscher picked up yet another podium finish just over a half second off the mark.

After two cancellations, Thursday was finally a lucky day in Beaver Creek and Erik Guay came out on top of the only training run on the Raptor/Birds of Prey hybrid course before tomorrow’s official race.

Sweden's Jessica Lindell-Vikarby won Beaver Creek giant slalom race, clocking a combined time of 2:17.92, just 0.09 seconds faster than local hero Mikaela Shiffrin. In third position and starting with bib 29, Liechtenstein's Tina Weirather climbed onto her second podium of the week

Switzerland's Lara Gut was unstoppable on the Raptor super g course today. With a winning time of 1:18.42, she defeated two Austrians with Anna Fenninger in second (+0.92) and Nicole Hosp in third position (+1.11).

Lara Gut confirmed how strong she is at the moment. She had a blast on the very technically demanding Raptor. She dealt with the 2.530 meters and the 710 meters vertical drop course in an incredible way to clock the best time of the day in 1:41.26, edging out Tina Weirather and Elena Fanchini at the top of the timesheets.

Switzerland's Lara Gut showcased her incredible talent to set the fastest time this morning, recording a time of 1:40.76, 1.2 seconds less than yesterday’s Stacey Cook best time. Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather took 2nd, 1.18 seconds off the pace, while Slovena's Ilka Stuhec finished 3rd, 1.68 seconds back.